Toy rifle



May 31, 1966 w. 1.. STRAUSS TOY RIFLE Filed July 2. 3.964

INVENTOR.

WALTER L- STRAUSS BY Ha M i ATTORNE YS United States Patent 3,253,586 TOY RIFLE Walter L. Strauss, 1107 Broadway, New York 10, N.Y. Filed July 2, 1964, Ser. No. 379,808 Claims. (Cl. 12414) This invention pertains to toy rifles.

As is well known, one of the prime functions of a toy is to simulate as nearly as possible, in the mind of the user, the actual article it represents, as the closeness of the simulation greatly aflects the play value of the toy. Heretofore, one class of toy rifles of the so-called popgun type simulated either pump action or breech-breaking types of guns. However, it has been diificult economically to simulate the bolt action type. Since many currently available rifles, as well as many rifles throughout military history, are of the bolt action type, it is highly desirable that there be a toy rifle which resembles a conventional bolt action rifle, such as a Springfield 03 or an Enfield rifle.

Accordingly, it is a general object of the invention to provide a toy rifle of the bolt action type.

It is another object of the invention to provide a toy rifle of the bolt action type which propels a missile through the agency of compressed air.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a toy rifle which, while satisfying the above objects, requires a minimum of parts and is inexpensive to fabricate by mass production techniques.

Briefly, the invention contemplates a toy rifle comprising a stock of plastic material and a body of sheet metal fixed to the stock. A barrel is fitted in the body. The barrel includes a front end portion for receiving a projeetile and a rear end portion. A cocking and firing mechanism is fixed to the rear end portion of the barrel and fitted in the body. The mechanism includes a bolt tube extending into the rear end portion of the barrel and slidably mounted in the body. The bolt tube has a catch means at the end thereof within the barrel. There 'is a bolt handle rotatably mounted on theend of the bolt tube remote from the barrel. A trigger means is pivotably mounted in the body and includes a catch. A piston rod extends through the barrel and a portion of the bolt tube and has a member fixed to the end thereof for engagement by the catch means of the bolt tube so that when the bolt handle is drawn rearward, the member follows and is engaged by the catch of the trigger means. A compression spring means is provided for urging the piston rod means toward the front end portion of the barrel so that when the trigger means is pulled, the piston rod is driven forward.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, when read with the accompanying drawings, which show by Way of example, and not by way of limitation the now preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a toy rifle in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view of the rear portion of the barrel of the rifle of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the cocking and firing mechanism of the rifle of FIG. 1 when uncooked;

FIGURE 4 is a section view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 4 when the bolt of the rifle is rotated during cocking;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 66 of FIG. 3; and

FIGURE 7 is a side view of the mechanism of FIG. 3 in the cooked position.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the rifle 10 is shown as comprising a body 11 of sheet metal and a hollow plastic simulated rock 12. Rivets 13 fasten body 11 to stock 12. Body 11 includes a breech defining portion 11a and a barrel-receiving portion 11b.

Fixed in body 11 are a barrel 14 and a cooking and firing mechanism 15. A cork 16 is usually fitted into the front end or mouth of barrel 14. Barrel 14 is fixed to the body 11 by a rivet 17 passing through rivet-receiving apertures or holes 19 in both the near and far sides of body 11 and rivet-receiving apertures or holes 18 in both the near and far sidesof the rear end portion of barrel 14 FIG. 2). -In the rear of barrel 14 there is an opening 20 with a tab 21 extending from an edge thereof. Ahead of opening 21 are rivet-receiving apertures or holes 23 in both the near and far sides of barrel 14.

Referring to FIG. 3, the elements of the cocking and firing rnechanis 15 are shown in great detail. The mechanism 15 has a breech assembly 15a which generally includes a bolt tube 26 containing a spring 25, a trigger means 29, and a bolt handle 27. Mechanism 15 is fixed to barrel 14 by rivets 17 and 24. Rivets 17, in addition to passing through holes 19 in body 11, passes through longitudinal'slots 26a in the near and far sides of bolt tube 26. Rivet '17, furthermore, passes through a pivot aperture 29a formed by a bent-over tab 29b in the stamping forming the trigger means 29 and through the end of spring 25. In this manner a pivotable support for trigger means 29 is provided in mechanism 15. The function of spring 25 is hereinafter more fully described. Rivet 24, concealed by body 11, passes through rivet-receiving apertures or holes 23 in barrel 14 and an aperture in bearing sleeve 34 of mechanism 15.

Bolt tube 26 has a bottom slot along most of its bottom surface 26b (see also FIG. 6) to accommodate trigger means 29 and spring 22. Spring 22 is connected between hook 29a' of trigger means 29 and tab 21 in barrel 14 (see also FIG. 2) to rotate trigger means 29 in counterclockwise direction.

Circumferential slots'26e in the rear of bolt tube 26 (see FIG. 4) accept rivet 28, which slidably fixes bolt comprising tabs 40 and washer 49 used in the closure assembly of body 11. Accordingly, bolt handle 27 must be rotated about the rifle axis before it can be pulled back.

Rivet 28 also engages one end of spring 25, the other end of which is held by rivet 17. Spring 25 bias both handle 27 and bolt tube 26 to move forward.

The front end of bolt tube 26 is cut and bent to provide a catch comprising a slot or notch 26c and tabs 26d (FIG. 6). The function of notch 26c and tabs 26d will hereinafter become apparent.

The breech assembly 15a of the mechanism 15 has been described, and there will now be described piston assembly 30, which is forward of the breech assembly and gen erates the compressed air for propelling cork 16.

The piston assembly 30 comprises a piston rod 31 the forward end of which terminates in a pliable air piston unit 33 held in place by upset 31b. The rear end of rod 31 terminates in the breech assembly 15a and has a trig ger-catching disk 32 which is held in place by upset 31a. Slidably fitted about rod 31 is hearing 34, which is held in place by rivet 24. Abutting against bearing 34 is spring-end washer 35a, which provides a shoulder for one end of a compression spring 36. The other end of spring 36 abuts spring-end washer 35b, which is restrained by an upset 310. Spring 36 is under moderate compression due to the restraints set up by upsets 31a and 310.

Assuming that the rifle 10 has been fired, its operation from cocking to firing will now be described. The user inserts cork 16 into the mouth of barrel 14. He then grasps the knob 27a of bolt handle 27, which is in the position shown in FIG. 4, and rotates the bolt handle in the direction of arrow 50 of FIG. 5 so that peened-over end 28a of rivet 28 clears the tab and washer assembly 40 and 41. It should be noted that only bolt handle 27 rotates, and not bolt tube 26, by virtue of rivet 28 moving in circumferential slots 262 of tube 26. Bolt handle 27 is then drawn rearward in the direction of arrow 52 of FIG. 7. As the bolt handle 27 moves back it carries with it bolt tube 26 by virtue of rivet 28 pressing against the sides of slots 262. As bolt tube 26 moves back, tabs 26d at notch 26c bear against trigger-catching disk 32. Accordingly, rod 31 moves back. Therefore, spring 36 if further compressed, and piston 33 moves away from the mouth of barrel 14. As disk 32 continues to be drawn back, it engages cam portion 296 of trigger means 29, which starts rotating clockwise against the pull of spring 22 until it is engaged in the slot portion 290 of trigger 29. At this point, spring 22 rotates trigger means an counterclockwise, and the forward end of slot portion 29c catches disk 32, locking rod 31 in a retracted position with spring 36 under full compression. It should be noted that part 29 (FIG. 7) is transversely displaced ing a bolt tube extending into the rear end portion of said barrel and slidably mounted in said body, the bolt tube including notch means at the end thereof within said barrel and circumferential slots near the end thereof remote from said barrel, a bolt handle slidably fitted on the end of said bolt tube remote from said barrel and inat region 29g to permit rod 31 to pass slot portion 290 for full cocked engagement. At this point, rifle 10 is cocked. The user then releases bolt handle 27, which is pulled forward by spring 25 as it returns to its unstressed condition.

When the user pulls the finger grip 29h of trigger means 29, it rotates clockwise. Slot portion 29c releases disk 32, and the stored energy in spring 36 drives rod 31 forward. Piston 33 compresses the air ahead of it until suf ficient pressure is built up to propel cork 16 from the mouthof barrel 14. I

There has thus been shown a toy rifle which realistically simulates an actual bolt action rifle. The disclosed rifle is easy and inexpensive to fabricate, since it generally employs stamped sheet metal elements and lends itself to mass production techniques.

While only one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, there will now be obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications and variations which satisfy many or all of the objects of the invention but which do not depart from its spirit as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A toy rifle comprising: a hollow stock of plastic material; a body of sheet metal; a barrel fitted into said body and including a front end portion for receiving a projectile and a rear end portion; and a cocking and firing mechanism secured to the rear end portion of said barrel and fitted into said body, said mechanism including a bolt tube extending into the rear end portion of said barrel and slidably mounted in said body, the bolt tube including first catch means at the end thereof within said barrel, a bolt handle rotatably fitted on the end of said bolt tube remote from said barrel, a trigger means pivotably mounted in said body and including a second catch means, a piston rod extending through said barrel and a portion of said bolt tube and including a member fixed to one end thereof for engagement by said first catch means of said bolt tube so that when said bolt handle is drawn rearward said member follows and is engaged by the second catch means of said trigger means, and a compression spring for urging said piston rod means toward the front end portion of said barrel.

2. A toy rifle comprising: a hollow stock of plastic material; a body of sheet metal; a barrel fitted into said body and including a front end portion for receiving a projectile and a rear end portion; and a cocking and firing mechanism secured to the rear end portion of said barrel and fitted into said body, said mechanism includeluding rivet-receiving apertures, a rivet extending through said rivet-receiving apertures and said circumferential slots so that said bolt handle is connected to said bolt tube but can rotate with respect thereto, a trigger means pivotably mounted in said body and including a catch, a piston rod extending through said barrel and a portion of said bolt tube and including a member fixed to the end thereof for engagement by said notch means of said bolt tube so that when said bolt handle is drawn rearward said member follows and is engaged by the catch of said trigger means, and a compression spring means for urging said piston rod means toward the front end portion of the barrel.

3. A toy rifle comprising: a stock of plastic material; a body of sheet metal including rivet-receiving apertures; a barrel fitted into said body and including a front end portion for accepting a projectile and a rear end portion having rivet-receiving apertures aligned with the rivet-receiving apertures of said body; and a cocking and firing means secured to the rear end portion of said barrel and fitted into said body, said means including a breech assembly including a bolt tube extending from the rear end portion of said barrel and having a notch means at an end adjacent said barrel, side longitudinal slots in the intermediate portion of said bolt tube, circumferential slots near the end of said bolt tube remote from saidbarrel, a bolt handle slidably fitted on the end of said bolt tube remote from said barrel and including rivet-receiving apertures opposite said circumferential slots, a rivet extending through the rivet-receiving apertures of said bolt handle and saidcircum-ferential slots so that said bolt handle is connected to said bolt tube but can rotate with respect to said bolt tube, a trigger means of stamped sheet metal including a pivot aperture, a cam portion terminating in a catch, a first pin rivet extending through said rivet-receiving apertures of said body, said side longtudinally extending slots in the intermediate portion of said bolt tube, said pivot aperture of said trigger means and said rivet-receiving apertures of said barrel for fixing said barrel to said body, restraining said bolt tube to restricted longitudinal motion and providing a pivot axis for said trigger means, and said cocking and firing means further comprising a piston assembly means including a piston rod means extending through said barrel and a portion of said bolt tube and having a first end portion near the front end of said barrel and a second end portion near the rear end of said barrel, a disk secured to the second end portion of said rod and engaged by the notch means of said bolt tube so that when said bolt handle is drawn rearward said disk rides over said cam portion and is engaged by said catch, and compression spring means for urging said piston rod toward the front end portion of said barrel.

4. A toy rifle comprising: a stock of plastic material; a body of sheet metal including a breech-defining portion having rivet-receiving apertures and a barrel-receiving portion; a barrel fitted into the barrel-receiving portion of said body and including a front end portion for accepting a projectile and a rear end portion having first rivet-receiving apertures aligned with the rivet-receiving apertures of said body, second rivet-receiving apertures and a tab; a cockingand firing means secured to the rear end portion of said barrel and fitted into the breechdefining portion of said body, said means including a breech assembly including a bolt tube extending from the rear end portion of said barrel and having a notch means at the end of said tube adjacent said barrel, side longitudinal s ots in the intermediate portion of said bolt tube,

circumferential slots near the end of said bolt tube re mote from said barrel, a cuplike bolt handle slidably fitted over the end of said bolt tube remote from said barrel and including rivet-receiving apertures opposite said circumferential slots, a peened-over rivet extending through the rivet-receiving apertures of said bolt handle and said circumferential slots so that said bolt handle is connected to said bolt tube but can rotate with respect to said bolt tube, a trigger means of stamped sheet metal including a finger grip, a pivot aperture, a cam portion terminating in a catch, and hook means, a first pin rivet extending through said rivet-receiving apertures of the breech-defining portion of said body, said side longitudinally extending slots in the intermediate portion of said bolt tube, said pivot aperture of said trigger means and said first rivet-receiving apertures of said barrel for fixing said barrel to the breech-defining portion of said body restraining said bolt tube to restricted longitudinal motion and providing a pivot axis for said trigger means, first spring means including ends connected to the hook means of said trigger means and to the tab of said barrel for urging said trigger means to pivot in a first direction, and said cocking and firing means further comprising piston assembly means including a rod extending through said barrel and a portion of said bolt tube and having a first end portion near the front end of said barrel and a second end portion near the rear end portion of said barrel, a piston fixed to the first end portion of said rod, a disk fixed to the second end portion of said rod and engaged by the notch means of said bolt tube so that when said bolt handle is drawn rearward said disk rides over said cam portion and is engaged by said catch, a bearing slidably mounted on said rod near the second end portion thereof and including a rivet-receiving aperture, a second pin rivet extending through the rivet-receiving aperture of said bearing and said second rivet-receiving apertures of said barrel to fix said bearing to said barrel, and compression spring means threaded on said rod and including a first end restrained by said rod near the first end thereof and a second end abutting said bearing' 5. A toy rifle comprising: a hollow stock of plastic material; a body of sheet metal including a breach-defining portion having a stop and rivet-receiving apertures, and a barrel-receiving portion; a barrel fitted into the barrel-receiving portion of said body and including a front end portion for accepting a projectile and a rear end portion having first rivet-receiving apertures aligned with the rivet-receiving apertures of said body, second rivet-receiving apertures and a tab; and a cocking and firing means secured to the rear end porton of said barrel and fitted in the breech-defining portion of said body, said means including a breech assembly including a bolt tube extending from the rear end portion of said barrel and having a first bottom longitudinal slot extending from an end of said bolt tube adjacent said barrel, tab and notch means at the end of said slot adjacent said barrel, second and third side longitudinal slots in the intermediate portion of said bolt tube, fourth and fifth circumferential slots near the end of said bolt tube remote from said barrel, a cuplike bolt handle slidably fitted on the end of said bolt tube remote from said barrel and including rivet-receiving apertures opposite said fourth and fifth circumferential slots and laterally extending knob, a peened-over rivet extending through the rivet-receiving apertures of said bolt handle and said circumferential slots so that said bolt handle is connected to said bolt tube but can rotate with respect to said bolt tube, the peened-over portion abutting said stop only when said bolt handle is in a given rotational position, a trigger means of stamped sheet metal including a finger grip, a pivot aperture, a catch, a cam portion terminating at said catch, and hook means, a first pin rivet extending through said rivet-receiving apertures of the breech-defining portion of said body, said side longitudinally extending slots in the intermediate portion of said bolt tube, said pivot aperture of said trigger means and said first rivet-receiving apertures of said barrel for fixing said barrel to the breech-defining portion of said body restraining said bolt tube to restricted longitudinal motion and providing a pivot axis for said trigger means, a first spring within said bolt tube including ends fixed to said peened-over rivet and said first pin rivet respectively for biasing said bolt tube longitudinally toward said barrel, second spring means including ends connected to the hook means of said trigger means to the tab of said barrel for urging said trigger means to pivot in a first direction, and said cocking and firing means further comprising a piston assembly means including a rod extending through said barrel and a portion of said bolt tube and having a first end portion near the front end of said barrel and a second end portion near the rear end of said barrel, a piston fixed to the first end portion of said rod, a disk fixed to the second end portion of said rod and engaged by the tab and notch means of said bolt tube so that when said bolt handle is drawn rearward said disk rides over said cam portion and is engaged by said catch of said trigger means, a bearing slidably mounted on said rod near the second end portion thereof and including a rivet-receiving aperture, a second pin rivet extending through the rivet-receiving aperture of said bearing and said second rivet-receiving apertures of said barrel for fixing said bearing to said barrel, and compression spring means threaded on said rod and including a first end restrained by said rod near the first end thereof and a second end abutting said bearing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,303,336 5/1919 Lefever 12414 2,548,984 4/ 1951 Lennberg 124-14 2,710,607 6/1955 Heilman 124-14 2,937,638 5/ 1960 Rauglas 124-14 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. WILLIAM R. BROWNE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TOY RIFFLE COMPRISING: A HOLLOW STOCK OF PLASTIC MATERIAL; A BODY OF SHEET METAL; A BARREL FITTED INTO SAID BODY AND INCLUDING A FRONT END PORTION FOR RECEIVING A PROJECTILE AND A REAR END PORTION; AND A COCKING AND FIRING MECHANISM SECURED TO THE REAR END PORTION OF SAID BARREL AND FITTED INTO SAID BODY, SAID MECHANICM INCLUDING A BOLT TUBE EXTENDING INTO THE REAR END PORTION OF SAID BARREL AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID BODY, THE BOLT TUBE INCLUDING FIRST CATCH MEANS AT THE END THEREOF WITHIN SAID BARREL, A BOLT HANDLE ROTATABLY FITTED ON THE END OF SAID BOLT TUBE REMOTE FROM SAID BARREL, A TRIGGER MEANS PIVOTABLY MOUNTED IN SAID BODY AND INCLUDING A SECOND CATCH MEANS, A PISTON ROD EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BARREL AND A PORTION OF SAID BOLT TUBE AND INCLUDING A MEMBER FIXED TO ONE END THEREOF FOR ENGAGEMENT BY SAID FIRST CATCH MEANS OF SAID BOLT TUBE SO THAT WHEN SAID BOLT HANDLE IS DRAWN REARWARD SAID MEMBER FOLLOWS AND IS ENGAGED BY THE SECOND CATCH MEANS OF SAID TRIGGER MEANS, AND A COMPRESSION SPRING FOR URGING SAID PISTON ROD MEANS TOWARD THE FRONT END PORTION OF SAID BARREL. 